Season 2, Winter 2014, Movie Review #7: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

   So my family and I went to see the Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, the sequel to 2012's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Here is my take on it.
Enjoy reading!



PART ONE: THE PLOT

 

      The Lonely Mountain, Erebor, filled with treasure beyond the imagining of mortals and immortals alike, stands open and unguarded. The Dragon Smaug, conqueror of the Dwarf kingdom of Erebor, has not been seen for many years, and as birds return to the mountain, countless eyes watch, and wait, and weigh the risk.
   Having narrowly escaped death at the hands of the Pale Orc chieftain Azog, Thorin, rightful heir to the throne of Erebor, travels with a company of twelve other Dwarves, a wizard and a Hobbit to reclaim his homeland.
   But as Gandalf's suspicions of a dark force returning to power increase, and a certain Ring of Power begins to take hold of Bilbo Baggins himself, the threat to Middle Earth grows.
   Worse, as outside forces from Elves to Men and dangerous monsters threaten to stop Bilbo and his companions, true colors are revealed and the quest to reclaim Erebor teeters on the edge of a blade.
   And at the end of the journey lies the greatest challenge of all, one that could wreathe all of Middle Earth in flame...


PART TWO: THE REVIEW

      While I think it a fair suggestion that
the Hobbit films will never be as good as the Lord of the Rings trilogy, I also think it a fair thing to give this movie wild applause and appropriate praise.
  While I have wondered how Peter Jackson took a few hundred pages from the Hobbit book and a few pages from the Lord of the Rings Appendices and is making three films out of it, the fact is, it works.
   Tolkien fans may be annoyed by several liberties the filmmakers took with the book, mainly the following:
   -A non-Tolkien she-elf character, Tauriel, is added into the story as Captain of the Mirkwood Guard. Though she isn't in the book, the movie makers needed at least one female face in the story, as the book was pure males all the way through, and besides, Tauriel's epic war capabilities will be sure to please.
   -Legolas, son of the Mirkwood king Thranduil, returns, although not described in the book.
   -A love triangle between Legolas, Tauriel, and the Dwarf Kili is introduced--for what benefit to the story I know not, but I guess if it makes Peter Jackson happy, whatever.
   -Other small liberties, such as shortening the scene with Beorn, lengthening and altering the time spent in Laketown, etc.

   Despite these changes, the movie is a great improvement over the less action-packed original, being filled with incredible visual effects, shape shifters, horrific giant spiders, Orcs galore, greedy leaders, noble and skilled warriors, a terrifying Dragon and most importantly, the key emotional moments shared with the protagonist, Bilbo Baggins. As his attachment to the One Ring grows, so does his determination to see the quest through and his bravery to achieve it. As the most active and resourceful character, Bilbo dares countless dangers, risks his own life, and does everything he can to get his companions out of trouble, even when in the end some don't return his goodwill.
   The performances of the actors and actresses in the movie are almost all perfect, with the exception of a few cheesy lines in moments with Tauriel and Kili.
Martin Freeman flawlessly embodies Bilbo, Ian McKellen pulls off Gandalf's awkward wisdom, Richard Armitage performs well as Thorin, highlighting his gradual change for the worse and inner conflict, and Benedict Cumberbatch dazzles the audience with his motion-capture portrayal of the Dragon Smaug.
   The music and cinematography are a huge credit to the people who made it happen, as is the story itself.
   While I can't say I care much for the love triangle between Legolas, Kili and Tauriel, all the other changes to the story, I think, were beneficial ones.
   Changed as it may be, the story of the Hobbit remains true at its core: Even the smallest person can change the course of the future--as long as that gem of Tolkien's is still intact, the story is great at its heart.


PART THREE: CONTENT REPORT

   Kili asks Tauriel if she's going to check down his trousers in one scene as 'he could have anything down there'. Tauriel replies by saying 'or nothing'. Kili flirts and holds hands with Tauriel.
   Violence involves a character being shot and suffering under the influence of a poisoned arrow, Smaug breathing fire all over the place, Orcs and spiders being killed in many stylish ways, including decapitation, and one character being buried in a pool of molten gold.
   The shape shifter Beorn can transform into a massive, frightening bear, and Orcs, giant spiders and the spiritual form of Sauron himself may be scary for some in the audience. Thranduil reveals a gross wound on his face that might also catch watchers off guard.
   Thorin tells Balin he told the Elves to *Dwarvish word* themselves, which is the closest reference to a strong curse word I've ever seen in a LOTR movie.
   Some Elves are shown drunk, and the opening scene takes place in a pub, while the ravenous Dwarves eat a lot and drink a lot as well.
   Greedy leadership in Laketown and Mirkwood, along with the growing dark side of Thorin are shown, but dwarfed by more positive role models, such as Bilbo. 
   The movie is rated PG-13 for extended sequences of intense fantasy action violence, and frightening images.


PART FOUR: RATING AND CONCLUSION

   I award the film four and a half stars. While the sparse cheesy lines and added love triangle put a question mark over my head, the rest put a big grin on my face and a tall exclamation point over my head. The cinematography, music, visual effects, story, action and connection with Bilbo exceeded my expectations.
   As said before, though, what's most important is the heart of the story, the core values and positive messages that are central to its success--and Peter Jackson has definitely kept true to them.
   So, with that said, the film has only made a little over $700,000,000, so go buy tickets and help it exceed the one billion dollar box office mark, and enjoy!

Peace,
Matt~